The invention relates to a data processing system and a method for processing data relating to the training of motor vehicle drivers. Such driver training may be carried out, in particular, for educating and training vehicle drivers, in order to enhance their knowledge and skill when driving motor vehicles. To this end, the vehicle drivers are, as a rule, given exercise tasks, in the course of which they are supposed to drive the motor vehicle along a course in a manner as safe as possible under predetermined, difficult conditions such as, for example, a slippery road or tight bends. A trainer or instructor accompanies the training participants through the exercises, instructs them accordingly and evaluates the exercise results together with the participants. Driver training is typically carried out in a specially prepared training area, which is normally, but not necessarily, located away from the public road network.
In order to monitor and evaluate the training performance of the participants it is important for the trainer or instructor to obtain as much information as possible about the respective training trips of the training participants.
From U.S. Pat. No. 3,266,174 A, a test and training simulator for training vehicle drivers is known. It comprises a training station in which a training participant completes his/her training, as well as an instructor station, in which an instructor can monitor and evaluate the actions of the training participant. To this end, actions within the training maneuver are recorded in the training station in the form of signals, and in the case of errors, error data is generated and transferred to the instructor station. A corresponding facility is known from EP 0 831 444 B1.
It is an object of the invention to enable, during vehicle driver training carried out under real conditions in motor vehicles rather than in a simulator, an efficient and secure acquisition, processing and transfer of training data.
This object is achieved by means of the invention as indicated in the independent patent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are indicated in the dependent claims.
According to one embodiment of the invention, a data processing system having a plurality of components is provided to be used for processing training data for a vehicle driver training. A central computer is provided in a data center, which has at least one first network data interface. In an administration area, an administration computer is provided that has at least one second network data interface. The central computer and the administration computer can communicate with each other via the first and second network data interfaces. In the administration computer, participant data about the driver training can be recorded and recorded participant data can be coupled to participant identification data in a participant identification system. The coupled participant data and the participant identification data can be transferred to the central computer. Further, at least one identification means for automatically identifying a participant by means of the participant identification associated with him/her and/or for selecting a participant from a list containing at least some of the recorded participant data is provided. In a training area in which the motor vehicle is driven by the participant, a network access point having at least one third network data interface is provided, via which an at least in part wireless data transfer for transferring at least some of the participant data between the central computer and the network access point is facilitated. The network access point further comprises at least one data transfer interface, via which at least the part of the participant data that was transferred by the central computer can be transferred into a computer located in the motor vehicle.
Training data in terms of the present invention may in particular be the following:                training data, such as the surname or the first name of a participant or an identification permanently associated with the participant,        exercise data representing information about an exercise to be carried out by a participant; this may comprise images and/or text for explaining an exercise, for example an obstacle avoidance exercise,        measurement data that is derived for example from signals from the motor vehicle and describes a vehicle speed, a brake point, a steer angle or the like. Measurement data may also be derived from signals of a sensor located outside of the vehicle and in particular in the training area, for example in respect of lap times or the vehicle speed at a measurement point, and/or        vehicle identification data regarding one or more motor vehicles used during training.        
According to one or more embodiments of the invention, in addition to the participation data, further training data, in particular measurement data, may be transferred between the central computer and the network access point. Also, measurement data of sensors located in the vehicle may be transferred back to the central computer.
The invention is based on the realization that for recording, processing and transferring training data during vehicle driver training it is advantageous to subdivide a data processing system substantially into four main components, namely firstly a central computer in which the training data may for example be centrally stored, processed and transferred, secondly an administration computer in which training data and in particular participant data can be recorded, thirdly a network access point provided in the training area, and fourthly a computer located in the motor vehicle, i.e. a mobile computer, which may in particular be implemented as a vehicle-internal access point into a vehicle-external network. At the network access point provided in the training area, it is on the one hand possible to access the data of the central computer advantageously independently from the location or in a decentralized manner, and to temporarily store this data, on the other hand a wireless, stable and rapid connection with a computer located in the motor vehicle can be established. By means of this computer, a man-machine interface (MMI), in particular a graphic user interface (GUI) to the training participant driving the motor vehicle, can be provided, further training data and in particular measurement data can be recorded in the motor vehicle and/or can be represented on the MMI, and/or recorded training data can be transferred between the motor vehicle and the network access point.
According to the invention, stand-alone interfaces are provided at certain locations, which can be optimized for their respective purposes of use. For example, the interfaces between the data center and the administration area may be wired internet interfaces which are available by virtue of the infrastructure that is already present in each case. Moreover, multiple uses of the administration area may be made possible, for example a personal computer (PC) with internet access or web access may be provided for the members of the training team and/or for the participants. At least one interface of the network access point, in particular to the internet (www), may be implemented as a mobile network interface via Global System for Mobile Communications (GMS), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) or Long Term Evolution (LTE). By providing an at least in part wireless transfer, a reliable data link, in particular to the central computer, may be established, wherein the network access point is not tied to any existing other infrastructure conditions, in particular, not tied to any stationary network cable connections, but availability is provided due to the general network coverage of mobile radio networks to a large degree.
In particular, a performant interface having a relatively short reach compared to a mobile radio interface, for example a WLAN interface, may be used between the network access point and the computer located in the motor vehicle. The connection thus provided may allow a unidirectional data transfer from the network access point to the motor vehicle or a bidirectional data transfer.
The invention can be used particularly advantageously if the training participants carry with them for their identification an electronic element that can be at least read in a contactless manner and includes a participant identification, for example a so-called Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) element, in which a unique RFID identification that can be read in a contactless manner and can be uniquely associated with the element, is electronically stored. The RFID identification can then be read out of the RFID element using a reading element in the course of the recording of the participant data, can be transferred into the administration computer, can be associated with the participant data and can, coupled therewith, be stored in the administration computer and/or in the central computer for example in a database. If a training participant also carries the RFID element with him/her, for example on his/her wrist, during the driver training, in particular whilst driving the motor vehicle, then this element can be read electronically at specified locations and/or at specified times, and the participant can be automatically identified by means of the read RFID identification. For example, an RFID reading device may be provided in the motor vehicle, by means of which the participant is automatically identified. By means of the data identified there, participant-specific outputs may then automatically be carried out on the vehicle, for example his/her name can be displayed on a display device and/or participant-specific vehicle settings such as seat adjustment, mirror adjustment etc. can be automatically carried out. To this end, it may in particular be provided for the RFID identification data coupled to the participant data to be transferred from the central computer via the respective interfaces into the computer located on the motor vehicle. To this end, it may further be provided for participant-specific vehicle adjustment data to be stored for example in the motor vehicle and/or in the central computer and for the vehicle adjustment data to be retrievable upon identification or selection of a participant in a certain motor vehicle, in order to carry out a participant-specific vehicle adjustment. Thus, also measurement data can be associated with the respectively identified or selected participant. Any training results achieved by the participant whilst driving the motor vehicle can be transferred as measurement data via the respective interfaces, in particular via the third network interface, from the computer located in the motor vehicle and/or from the network access point to the central computer. The measurement data can be recorded using at least one sensor that is connected to the network access point, is part of the motor vehicle and/or is connected to the computer located in the motor vehicle.
Any read or selected participant and/or participant identification data may be temporarily stored in the motor vehicle via a network data interface on the vehicle side and the network access point in the training area and/or may be transferred to the central computer, where participant-specific training data such as e.g. the name of the participant or the RFID identification, exercise data such as the name of a current training exercise and any exercise instructions as well as measurement data such as a lap time may be collected or provided and may be transferred back to the motor vehicle via the network access point. From the motor vehicle, any participant and/or vehicle-specific data or any data recorded in the vehicle, e.g. with regard to a speed, yaw rate or acceleration reached by the participant using the vehicle, can be transferred to the central computer via a network data interface on the vehicle side and the network access point.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the computer in the motor vehicle is equipped with a network link. It may be directly connected to an RFID reading device provided in the motor vehicle. It may include a plurality of network interfaces, wherein at least one network interface is implemented in a wireless manner and/or one network interface is wired. In particular, the wired network interface can be used to establish a connection to an on-board network of the motor vehicle, via which a direct or indirect connection to one or more control devices for the operation of the motor vehicle may be established.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, training data, in particular participant data, is transferred via the network access point and the computer located in the motor vehicle to a display unit of the motor vehicle and is displayed thereon. The display unit may be part of the vehicle's own graphic user interface.
In a further, preferred embodiment of the invention, an instructor computer is provided that comprises a network interface, via which it can directly or indirectly be connected to the computer located in the motor vehicle, to the network access point, to the administration computer and/or to the central computer.
From the instructor computer or from an application program running on this computer, it is possible to act, via the computer located in the motor vehicle and the on-board network of the motor vehicle, upon the control system influencing the driving operation of the motor vehicle, for example for actuating the accelerator or the brake or for switching on or off drive stability facilities of the motor vehicle, such as Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) or Dynamic Traction Control (DTC). Depending on demand, any influence by the participant as the vehicle driver on these vehicle control variables may be prevented. It may for example be provided that the driver is unable to carry out any switchover, i.e. an activation or deactivation of the DSC. To this end, an application computer program, a so-called app, may be provided and executed in particular on the instructor computer, via which the instructor can carry out the adjustments on the motor vehicle via a user interface of the instructor computer. In this app, measurement data of the motor vehicle such as for example the speed, yaw rate or steer angle thereof, can also be displayed.
The network access point provided in the training area may in particular comprise a computer as well as one or more centers for recording at least one driving parameter of the motor vehicle and in particular measurement data.
Further embodiment examples of the invention will be explained in more detail below by means of the figures, wherein:
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.